Cattle-guard.



R. H. P. SEWALL.

CATTLE GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 2, 1912.

COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH CD-.WASHINGTON, D. c.

rip.

ROBERT H. IE. SEWALL, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

CATTLE-GUARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 6, 1913,

Application filed May 2, 1912. Serial No. 694,772.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT H. F. SEWALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, in the parish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cattle-Guards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in stock or cattle-guards especially designed for railroads, at crossings.

The invention has for its object to provide for suitably and effectively guarding railways, particularly at crossings, against encroachment by cattle or stock, for obvious reasons.

A. further object is to insure the actuation of the constituent members of the guard upon the approach of the animal thereto and its contact therewith so as to halt it and cause it to retreat or withdraw.

A still further object is to provide for simplifying the structure and to minimize cost of manufacture.

A still further object is to carry out the aforesaid ends in an expeditious and efiiective manner.

The invention consists of certain instrumentalities and features substantially as hereinafter fully disclosed and defined by the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention wherein itwill be observed that various changes and modifications may bemade as to the detailed construction and arrangement thereof,Figure 1 is a diagrammati-v cal view of the invention illustrating its application to a railway track; Fig. 2 is an enlarged detailed side view of the series-connecting arrangement of the device; Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of an individual or constituent guard member of the invention; Figs. 4: and 5 are broken detailedsectional views relating more par ticularly to the series-connecting arrange- -ment and the supporting member or frame for guard carrying shafts, respectively. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary diagrammatical view of a modification of the invention. Fig. 7 is a detailed perspective view of an individual guard-member of the modification as embraced in Fig. 6.

In carryingout my invention, I suitably provide a base or frame-member 1, which is triplicated or pluralized, one base or frame member being applied between the rails of the track, and one at each side thereof, said base or frame members being suitably spiked or screwed to the ties.

Within these frame-members are arranged numerous or multi-series of menacing bifurcated or forked and pointed guardforming members 2, each series of such members being suitably secured upon an angular or rectangular shaft 8 pivotally mounted in said frame-members, to allow of their being rocked as the guards are engaged by the trespassing or encroaching animal.

The rods or shafts of the lateral series of guard members are preferably arranged at right angles to the direction of the track or length of the rails, while the rods or shafts of the series of guard-members intermediate the rails preferably extend parallel with the length of the rails. Said lateral guardmember series and said intermediate guardmember series are therefore arranged to eX- tend parallel with the rail-lengths and at right angles thereto, respectively. The individual guard-members are preferably of cast-metal, which, however, may be of sheetmetal, and the salient or upstanding portions thereof a are bifurcated so that each salient portion is provided with two pointed terminals 5 to enable the points of one guard-member to cooperate with the points of guard-members laterally thereof for clasping or pricking the leg of a trespassing or encroaching animal, just above the hoof, as will be more fully disclosed later.

The guard members 2 are also each formed with a downwardly and centrally tapered weighted bottom portion 6, to provide, by gravity, to centralize or automatically restore the guard-members to their initial or upright position after the removal therefrom of previously applied pressure, as for instance, when the deterred animal backs off the guard-members. The guardmembers are further provided with laterally elongated portions or arms 7 in continuation of their weighted bot-tom portions, the arms of each series of guard-members being staggered in their arrangement with respect to each other, to insure the more effective engagement 0f theguard-members, as the animal places its foot thereon, the same providing for bringing the animals foot simultaneously into contact with two or more adjacent guard members of the series.

The lateral and intermediate guard-series are each adapted for coaction, to provide for the actuation of all the guard-members of the series when any one thereof may be engaged, which, it is apparent, will have a greater deterring effect upon the animal, in attempting to cross the track, than would otherwise be the case. To that end the plu- "rality of shafts of each series is connected together by means of similarly devised rocking members 8, one such member being secured upon one end of each shaft, alternate rocking members having their arms 7 provided with curved slots 9 and lateral studs or projections 10,respectively, said studs being received by said slots for interengagement, said studs being suitably headed in position as seen in Fig. 4.

The interconnecting arms 7 are suitably spaced against frictional or wearing contact and thus held apart by means of suitable washers 11 placed upon the studs or projections 10.

This arrangement provides, as is apparent, for the rocking of any one of an entire series of guard -members by delivering downward pressure upon any individual one of the guard-members as by the animal stepping thereon, as above indicated, for throwing, tilting or careening the bifurcated or pointed upstanding portions of the rocking guard-members toward each other, the same thus being adapted to engage the animals leg, just sufficiently above the hoof, to provide for pricking its leg and calling a halt of the animal and causing its retreat, thus providing for effectually guarding the desired point, as will be readily appreciated.

As suggested by the modification, as embraced in Figs. 6 and 7, I may, in lieu of the form of the guard-member series as above described, constitute each guard-member series substantially after the fashion of the interconnected rocking members efiecting connection between each guard-member series, the same however, differentiating therefrom by providing rounded shafts and causing the guard-members to rock upon the shafts instead of fixing the guard-members upon angular shafts as in the preferred form, said rounded shafts being designated as 12. It will also be understood that, in the modification, the interconnected rocking members, effecting connection between the guard-member series, are omitted.

It is thought that the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying illustration, will provide for a ready understanding of the construction and operation of my invention and from which the advantages and benefits thereof may be readily appreciated, without further or eX- tended elaboration thereof herein.

lVhat is claimed is 1. A device of the type described, in cluding a supporting frame-member, a series of shaft-supported rocking guard members having upstanding pricking portions, the shafts of said guard members being supported within said supporting frame, and interconnected rocking members secured upon the shafts of said guard-members and having arms adapted to be actuated by an animal stepping thereon, for causing said pricking portions to tilt or incline toward each other to engage the animals leg.

2. A device of the type described, including a series of guard-members carried by a plurality of shafts, and interconnected rocking members individually connected to said shafts, and adapted to be actuated by an animal stepping thereon, said series of guard-members being equipped with means for pricking the animals leg.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT H. F. SEWALL.

Witnesses:

J NO. D. NIX, W. H. DALGAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

